Discarded Fable
by Fortune Warrior
Summary: Sequel to Dragonic Fable. It has been several months since the terror of Yamigedo was put to rest, and the world has slowly started to rebuild. However, crimson shadows of the past lurk, seeking to enact terrible revenge. Caught once more in an inter-world squabble, Gao and Drum fight to protect the peace they've obtained... Takes place before Triple D.
1. Call to Action

Buddyfight - Discarded Fable

Ch 1: Call to Action

 _It's been several months since the terror of Yamigedo was put to rest. For Gao and his friends, life has returned to normal and peace once again reigns. The Worlds across the cosmos are safe to rebuild and flourish, while new ones emerge from their isolation. Children and adults all around the world can now enjoy Buddyfighting to their heart's content._

 _Monsters, old and new, reunite with companions long thought forgotten. As myth is turned into fact, the new Worlds are quick to integrate themselves back into society, with no small amount of difficulty. Still, it is a welcome return and life continues as it is wont to do._

 _So peaceful was this period in time that no one would expect a new terror to arise in its place, to threaten the peace of the universe…_

* * *

Cho-Tokyo had quickly bounced back after Yamigedo's attack. The busiest parts of the city had received immediate aid from both the human and other worlds, allowing the major roads to be opened shortly. However, the scars of Yamigedo's terror were still fresh, and, despite swift responses from the Buddypolice and the National Guard, much of the city was still under repair.

Still, it hadn't stopped the citizens from their recreations, and a large fair had been arranged to celebrate another section of the city being reconstructed. A small Buddyfight tournament was being held, drawing a modest crowd and exciting the youths in the area. Their enthusiasm was infectious and brought back a feeling of normalcy to the people.

It all came to a stop when a loud slam echoed out from the city limits, disrupting the peaceful ambiance that had filled the air. Crowds had gathered among the streets of Cho-Tokyo, various civilians pointed out that the noise came from a section of the city still under construction.

It was from one of those buildings on the far side of the city that the noise came from. At first, nothing about the derelict building seemed amiss, and most of the crowd was ready to dismiss it as a trick of the ear. That was, until a loud explosion rung out. A blur slammed into the building, the dilapidated walls crumbling like paper from the impacts.

Eventually, momentum died, and the blur slowed down after being catapulted from the structure. A young boy toppled to the ground, gasping weakly as he lay on his back.

"So, _this_ is all the Buddycop Boy Wonder, Tasuku Ryuenji, is capable of?" A female voice mockingly remarked, though the boy didn't show any signs of hearing her. Its owner emerged from the hole Tasuku's body had created in the building, long red hair framing a fair face and obscuring her eyes. She walked up calmly to the boy until she was above him, and snored in contempt.

She reached down, a gauntlet covered hand grasping onto Tasuku's collar and raising him up so he could meet her eyes. The girl possessed a runner's build, with muscles fit for speed rather than power, but she had no trouble holding Tasuku up in front of her.

"Who…are you?" Tasuku rasped out weakly. "Why are you doing this?"

The girl was silent for a long moment, and when she spoke, it was in a low tone, a far departure from the boastful tone she had used earlier. "I have come for the sorceress, Morganna. I was expecting Mikado, so you," she turned hard on her heel and flung the boy back across the field. "Are in my way!"

As he hurtled through the air, once again at gravity's whims, Tasuku couldn't help but wonder. _Gao… what does the universe have against you? And after you finally defeated Yamigedo…_

*** 2 Hours Earlier ***

A loud explosion kicked up a plume of dust that obstructed the boy's vision. He glanced down at his hand, noting the rare sight that there wasn't a shield card to be found. He looked back to the clearing smoke to stare at the monster poised at the center. Its huge body cast an equally sizable shadow that covered the filled. Snarling fangs opened wide, unlashing a mighty roar, as it readied itself for the next attack.

"Gao!" a voice from his side called. The young fighter looked towards his Buddy, Drum Bunker Dragon, with equal parts worry and resolve. Clad in his Crimson Battler armor, the armordragon cut an imposing figure on the battlefield, but stuck as he was on the right position, he was unable to aide his Buddy.

Gao Mikado, the mighty sunfighter, found himself staring down at the monstrous visage of Yamigedo, its Buddy grinning down at him with a delightful glee.

"Go, Yamigedo!" He yelled, throwing out an arm clad in a red gauntlet. "Devour Gao's life and end this!"

Gao knew he didn't have a response, but he stood still, looking at the monster that would be his end. The young boy cried out as the massive centipede eater of worlds' maw descended on him, quite literally chewing his life down to 0.

GAME OVER: WINNER BOLT FUCHIGAMI

"Yes! This makes victory number 50!" Bolt cried out, his Buddy shrinking down to its tadpole like form and squeaking for joy.

Gao groaned as he got up, shaking his head to clear away the dizziness. The Castle fighting stage broke away, showing the enraptured audience that had gathered during their recent bout.

"You really got me that time," Gao laughed. "Taking on Yamigedo without the Cavalry Dragons is a lot harder than it looks."

"You're telling me!" Drum grumbled, shrinking down to his SD form. "I know they needed to go back with Tenbu, but you think they'd leave us their cards or something."

"It wouldn't be as much fun if I didn't have a handicap!" Gao said, still smiling. "Besides, this just makes us even!" He stared challengingly at Bolt, a fire in his eyes.

"Yeah, this puts us at 50 wins each," laughed Bolt, staring Gao down. "We're still undecided! We can't leave things at a tie!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth," answered Gao. "I'll challenge you 100 times before I'm satisfied!"

"I knew you'd say that," chuckled Bolt. "I'll accept any challenge from you!"

"You two are real hotheads," snorted Drum. "The way you go at it, you'd think you'd be part of the Bunker clan."

"I'd think you'd be happy to have more challenges," Gao said as the elevator took them back down to the central area. "It's nice to have a friendly match after all we've been through."

"Well, yeah, I like fighting him," Drum said, pausing to let the elevator doors open. "I just wish we'd be making more headway. Kinda feels like we're spinning our wheels, ya know?"

"Are you sure it's that, and not that you're still miffed about not being an Omni Lord anymore?" Gao teased.

Drum pouted, but said nothing.

"Don't worry, bro," came Baku's voice. He and Kuguru were heading down from the spectator's area, the young deck builder already working down a quick snack. "These consecutive fights are great for testing deck consistency. You just leave the strategy to me, I know I can make you a deck that can beat him! With or without the Omni Lord powers!"

"I'm counting on you, Baku," Gao said, giving his friend a fist bump.

"You'll need all the help you can get!" Bolt laughed as he approached the group. "It'll take another 50 matches before you get a leg up on me again!"

"Well I'll be happy to meet you every step of the way!" Gao retorted, grinning eagerly.

"Great, another 50 matches with the hot heads," Drum grumbled.

"Oh, let them have their fun," said Kuguru. "Tasuku's been off on Buddypolice business so often that Gao hasn't had time to fight with him. Plus with Noboru and the others still recovering, he's been going stir crazy. I think its good he's found a new rival."

"I guess," Drum reluctantly agreed, but his distant tone drew looks of worry from the two humans.

"Is everything okay, Drum?" asked Kurugu. "It's not usual for you to be so pensive."

"Maybe he's just hungry," Baku suggested, and he held up a spare bento box. If there was anyone who'd sympathize with a food problem, it'd be him. "I snagged this from the food court. Can't have our star monster fight on an empty stomach!"

"It's not that," Drum retorted, but his stomach disagreed loudly. "Well…okay, maybe it is." He took Baku's gift and scarfed down his meal, chewing his food slower than usual while he thought about Kuguru's question.

 _She's right, I_ am _thinking too much again,_ he noted to himself. _This always happens when things get quiet. Why can't I get this way when it comes to things worth thinking about!?_

He spared a glance over at the two humans, each one saying how they'd one-up the other next time around. And while he couldn't deny having a slight thrill run up his spine at the idea of actually managing to topple Yamigedo on his own merit…he just wasn't that interested in fighting after that.

Which made his head hurt worse, since it went against _everything_ he'd come to know and believe about himself.

 _Argh, what is wrong with me? Not interested in a Buddyfight? What kind of thinking is that?_ Despite his better judgement, he thought about a reason. The most prominent one being, aside from some combat experience, there wasn't much in it for him. _Yeah, because that doesn't make me sound like a total jerk. What else?_

Lack of motivation, growing discontent with repetition, anxiousness; all of which translated to one thing. Drum was bored.

He wanted to hit himself for even thinking that, but he supposed in some way it was true. WIthout a new challenge to go up against, things had gotten too quiet. Especially now that all the Cavalry Dragons and Tenbu had left. Though they had teased him relentlessly about his qualifications as an Omni Lord, he'd gotten used to them after a while. The house had been filled with amiable chatter from all 8 of them together, and there'd been a sense of expanded camaraderie that he hadn't felt in too long.

Not since Axia had…

 _And now I'm thinking about him again_ , Drum sighed to himself, and risked a glance at Baku and Kuguru. The two were chatting amongst themselves, unaware of his inner ponderings, much to his relief. _Not telling them anytime soon. I already had Gao tease me about that for days. I can only imagine what'll happen if those two catch wind of it._

He cringed as he took another bite out of his food, unaware that there was nothing left to eat and that he just bit into his spoon instead. He hadn't realized it, but he'd eaten all of his food during his self introspection. Even worse, he couldn't even remember what he just ate!

"You sure you're alright, bro?" asked Baku. "You've been in a bit of a funk for the last few days. And this isn't the first time you've forgotten your pre-meal snack."

 _Have I really been that out of it?_ Drum shook his head, trying his best to look alright. "Yeah, I'm fine… I just… had something on my mind is all."

"That's easy to see, even from up here," a gruff voice called from above, drawing the group's attention. The speaker, Jackknife Dragon, alongside his Buddy Tasuku Ryuenji, descended from the mall's open roof and landed in front of them. "That ponderous look don't suit you," the green dragon added.

"Tasuku! Jack!" Gao yelled, running towards the duo. "It's great to see you guys again."

"And what do you mean about my look not suiting me?" Drum huffed at Jack.

"Only that you aren't so easily distracted unless someone's on your mind," Jack answered, smirking proudly.

Drum quickly hushed up, Jack's phrasing not being lost on him. The green dragon knew more about Drum's dilemma than anyone else, and while he never told him, Tasuku or Gao everything about his trip to Magic and then Legend World, the questions he'd asked Jack during his little excursion gave the green dragon a better insight as to what could be troubling him.

Drum glanced back at the others to see if they had noticed anything, and sighed in relief when he saw them converge around Tasuku.

"It's great to see you again too, Gao," Tasuku said at last. "But I'm afraid this isn't a casual visit. Count Dawn sent me to bring you back to Buddypolice headquarters."

"Wha- me!?" Gao yelped. "But why? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"You're not in trouble," Tasuku said quickly. "But there is an urgent matter that requires your attention. The message asked for you specifically."

"Who would ask for Gao personally?" wondered Kuguru.

"I'm sorry, but it's not something that can be discussed publicly," replied Tasuku. "We can answer your questions back at HQ."

"But didn't you quit the Buddypolice, Gao?" asked Bolt.

"I did. It must be serious if Dawn sent for us though," Gao said. "I'm really sorry, but I'll have to cut our match short."

"Don't worry about it," Bolt waved off. "I was gonna win the next round, so it's for the best!"

"You keep telling yourself that," Drum replied. "We always bounce back, no matter how hard were knocked down."

"Then go knock over whatever's causing you grief so I can do the same when you get back," Bolt laughed.

"We'll see who'll be knocking who down!" Gao declared proudly. "Alright Tasuku, lead the way. C'mon Drum!"

"Just when you think you're out, they pull you right back in!" Drum quipped as he spread his wings. _Then again, maybe a call to action will help get my head on straight,_ he thought.

BUDDYSKILL ON

Both Gao and Tasuku's Buddyskills lit up beneath them and the four flew away, leaving their friends waving and wishing them well from the arena.

* * *

The Buddyfight headquarters, once in ruins from Yamigedo's ferocious attack, now stood proudly amongst the skyscrapers of Cho-Tokyo. With the threat of the Hundred Demons officially over, their forces were able to reconsolidate and focus on the overdue repair of their HQ.

"Oh, Tasuku," Gao said as they landed outside the main entrance. "You said it was Count Dawn that asked for me. Is Commander I still absent?"

"No, we found him," Tasuku replied, much more sheepish than Gao imagined he'd be. "It's a little embarrassing how we found him, though. He'd apparently been doing his best to fight alongside us, but got…" he grunted and looked to Jack for help.

"Derailed," the green dragon finished.

"Derailed?" Drum wondered. "By what?"

"We'll explain later," Tasuku hurriedly said. "There are more pressing matters to discuss."

Gao and Drum shared a confused look, but decided to let the matter drop as they followed Tasuku through the building. Old muscle memory helped guide them to the briefing room where Count Dawn waited with several other officers. Stella and Takihara were both manning computers, bringing up dozens of files that filled the main screen and that Dawn was examining with rapt attention.

"Count Dawn," Tasuku said when it became apparent the Count was too absorbed in his work. "I brought Gao and Drum, as you requested."

Dawn perked up and swiftly turned around, a hint of a smile gracing his features. "Ahh, good, you've both made it. I'm sorry to bring you here so unexpectedly, but the situation called for you by name."

"I'm happy to help if I can," said Gao. "But why would anyone ask for me?"

"My apologies, I should've been more specific," the Count said, turning his gaze toward Drum. "It called for you, Drum."

"Me?" parroted Drum, now looking very nervous. "Look, if it's about that time I ate Takihara's lunch, I swear I didn't see the label on it!"

The named officer stopped his typing, and glared at the small dragon. But before he could get in a good word, Dawn quickly cut in.

"No, this is not about any of your past snacking. Unfortunately, this matter is quite serious. A few hours ago, we have received an interesting video message that asked for you by name." He turned to the other assembled officers. "Stella, could you play back video file 19?"

"On it," Stella replied, her fingers moving over her keypad.

The plethora of files on the monitor disappeared, replaced by a large video window displaying a woman in a flowing black dress. She looked out of breath and her formerly smooth hair was frazzled. To at least three quarters of the room, she was an unknown woman, and it came to several people's surprise when Drum gasped in recognition.

"Morganna!?" he yelled.

Before anyone could ask about Drum's outburst, the named woman spoke.

"My name is Morgan la Fey," she began, "though some may know me as the Great Sorceress, Morganna. I have sent this message in hopes that I would receive asylum. I am being pursued by a terrifying force that seeks to use my powers to an awful end, and I would ask the Buddy Police to help me."

"Why should we trust you!" Drum growled, as if the monitor could hear anything. "After all that you did to us back in Legend World!"

"I have brought harm to many monsters before," the recording continued, "and I am willing to be put in containment, so long as I am safe. There is a dragon who works among you that knows of me - Drum Bunker Dragon. I have wronged him in the past, as well as his companions, but he can attest to my sincerity."

"'Sincerity'," Drum snorted in contempt. "Yeah, right."

"Please," the woman begged, as if in response. "I do not know how much longer I can hide. Even now I am being pursued. For months, I have been at the mercy of-"

"Morganna!" A male voice yelled from off screen. "They found us!"

The witch gasped as a loud explosion was heard, and flung her hand over the image, cutting the feed. Silence overtook the room once the video ended, no one able to parse what had just happened.

"That was Mordred…" Drum finally said, drawing everyone's attention. "That last voice belonged to him, I know it."

"Morganna and Mordred are two rogue monsters who have been on the run in Legend World for several years now," Count Dawn mused on the names for a moment, before turning to Drum. "I am aware of these two myself, but I'm surprised that you seem to know them both."

"We ran into each other a while back," the armordragon explained. "Before the Hundred Demons incident. They gave me a good amount of grief."

"And now they seem to be in trouble," continued Dawn. "Why did they ask for you, though?"

"Beats me," Drum shrugged. "I don't owe 'em any favors." He crossed his arms, and was content to pout until another thought hit him. "Unless that was Sofia again…"

"Sofia?" came the group's collective surprise.

"She was partnered up with Morganna back when we first met," Drum explained. "The two of them wanted to use the powers of a legendary lake in Legend World, but that partnership went south midway through. Sofia took over and destroyed both her and Mordred before going after us."

"If she's the one behind the attack, then it's possible that Kyoya is behind this assault as well," Dawn surmised. "Considering their involvement in the Yamigedo incident, we must consider the possibility that he has a new plan, and is already putting it into motion."

"Do you really think it could be him?" asked Stella. "He's been inactive for the last few months and hasn't made any public broadcasts. Even the Gaen Financial group has been pretty quiet."

"That's exactly how he got the drop on us during the Yamigedo incident," concluded Dawn. "We cannot discount his involvement, not with probable evidence that he might be up to something." He turned toward Gao and Drum, clear reluctance in his tone. "Much as I dislike involving civilians in police affairs, with Commander I still on sick leave and the rest of our forces spread so thinly with the recovery efforts, I must ask you two to help bring this monster in and protect her from Kyoya's influence if need be."

"We're on it, Count!" said Gao.

"Anything to get back at that jerk," agreed Drum. "Hey, does this mean I can use my Hero World skills again?"

"Ordinarily, those powers are only to be used by a Buddypolice officer," Dawn began. "But considering the nature of this case, I shall allow you to use them as you see fit. Just be sure to be safe out there."

"No need to worry about us. We know what to do," Gao affirmed before turning to his Buddy. "You ready for an Emergency Launch, Drum?"

"Always!" He said as he jumped up, energy swirling over him. "Decker Road Open!" His armor vanished piece by piece, replaced by his Hero World set. "Decker Drum's on patrol!"

"It's been a while since you've worn those," Tasuku observed.

"Yeah, never thought I'd be putting on these duds again," Drum answered, giving himself a once over. "Finding Morganna will be easy with my Seven Secrets on the job!"

"It's up to you now," Dawn announced. "Locate Morganna and rescue her if necessary. Tasuku will be acting as backup."

"Alright!" cheered Gao. "This'll be just like old times! You ready Drum?"

"I was hatched ready, kid!" he called back, and he eagerly spread his wings, his eyes glowing bright as he activated his Buddyskill.

He took to the skies and the rest followed, catching up to Drum and falling into a formation that had been used back when Gao visited with Tasuku in Dragon World. It brought back fond memories to the red dragon, and Drum couldn't help but be excited about their mission.

 _This is just what I needed, something new to shake things up!_ The odd feeling in his gut had finally loosened, all the nervous energy he'd had finally being put to use. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but notice Jack look worriedly at him, but he shook it off just as he did his own concerns. _There's nothing to worry about now! We'll go in, crack some heads and be back in time for pudding. Everything'll be just fine!_

* * *

Darkness bathed the room, held back only by a few torches placed along the walls and the viewing orb that floated freely in the center of the room. Its translucent blue hue showed Gao and Bolt's latest bout played out. It was a recording, intercepted from Paruko's broadcast, but it was clear enough for the group who watched on. Three robe-clad figures surrounded the sphere, their features hidden by their robed and the lack of light.

"Yamigedo has been tamed and now fights for…fun," a gruff voice murmured as its owner watched the named monster's tadpole form shriek in victory. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"The worlds it ate are returning to their proper places," Another voice joined in. "The very cosmos is expanding now that its hunger has been quelled."

"Darkness Dragon World has undergone a shift as well," a third, higher-pitched voice added. "It seems our old master still has some fight left."

"Our master before the Hundred Demons," the first voice remarked wistfully. "I can't even remember those times…"

"Don't get all sentimental on us," the second voice calmly reprimanded. "Gratos let himself fall pray to the vices of the human world, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard."

"Yeah, Voremos," The third voice chuckled. "Don't wanna get eaten yourself now, do ya? How ironic would that be?"

"Don't get smart with me, Aberrucia. We all lost power when Gratos was defeated," Voremos grumbled, clenching a skeletal fist in frustration. "Even with our strength pooled together, we were still defeated by that… _ridiculous_ conductor."

"Gratos was too shortsighted, and gave far too much autonomy to his puppets. This time…" the second voice said as its owner raised an arm. The orb's image changed, showing a feed of the city still under construction. It focused on one building in particular, zooming in until the it showed a woman in a flowing gown hiding amongst the rubble. "We have direction."

"We're really going along with this, Thanatos?" Aberrucia asked, tapping a bony finger to his chin. "We're going along with this convoluted plan?"

"If it will help us get our old master back, then yes, we are," Voremos grunted to his fellow knight. "We shall bide our time, and maybe get something out of this roundabout scheme."

"Convoluted or not, this time we know exactly how to reach our objective," Thanatos remarked. "And anything's better than working with that sniveling human, Shido. Even if this new one is-"

"Hey!" The assembled knights turned around, seeing a lone figure walk up towards them. It was an adolescent youth, no older than 16, but she cut an intimidating presence, and her stare cowed them all easily. "What're you schmucks doing? Our targets are moving into position." She glanced at the orb, the image switching to an arial view of Gao, Tasuku and their Buddies heading towards the city - to the same area the woman was hiding.

"Our apologies," Voremos offered, giving the girl a light bow. "We were simply preparing ourselves for the upcoming plan."

"Well, hurry it up," the girl commanded. In the darkened corridor, her amber eyes seemed to take on a yellow tint. "Gratos has almost finished his preparations, and you three need to be ready to head out. It's time to earn your keep."

She turned on her heel and walked off, her footsteps echoing on the stone floor.

"'Earn your keep' she says," Aberrucia mocked once the footsteps faded away. "We're just glorified bodyguards for this brat!"

"Patience, Aberrucia. Patience," reassured Voremos. "It will all be worth it, once we reawaken our true Lord. In the meantime, we will play this game of theirs. Once our true Lord revives, our time will come…"

* * *

Gao and Tasuku soared over the skies of Cho-Tokyo, searching frantically for the sorceress, Morganna. Though it'd only been an hour since the Buddypolice had received her distress call, time felt like a valuable commodity with her pursuers so close to her. Drum lead the small group, using his signature Decker Nose to catch a trace of Morganna's scent, but as the minutes ticked by, it became apparent that they were searching for a needle in a haystack.

"Too much time has passed, I can't smell her or the knight anywhere!" Drum groused.

"And with how big this city, we'll never find them in time," Jack murmured.

"There's no point in us staying together, we'll have to split up," said Tasuku. "Gao, you and Drum head towards the east side while I check the west. First to find her radios the other."

Gao shared a pensive look with Drum. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Drum asked. "Morganna's no ordinary witch, and anyone who's making her scared can't be a lightweight."

"I won't try to face them in direct combat," Tasuku reassured them. "If it really is Kyoya and his subordinates, I'll know what to watch out for. Worst comes to worst, I'll run and call you right away for backup."

Gao stared at him while longer, but nodded at the boy. "Alright, sounds like a plan. We'll meet back here in an hour."

"Make sure you comb every inch you can," called Drum. "You won't have my Decker Nose to help."

"We'll make due," chuckled Tasuku. "Good luck out there."

Giving the boy one last nod, Gao and Drum and took off further into the city. Tasuku watched them disappear between two of the larger buildings before he turned to face his search area.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to split up?" asked Jack. "Drum wasn't wrong about Morganna's pursuers. If they're strong enough to have her on the run, we'll need all the backup we can get."

"Staying together may be safer," Tasuku replied. "But it won't matter if we can't even find her. This'll let us cover more ground faster, and if we happen to find Morganna first…"

"You're hoping Gao won't have to get involved," Jack finished. "Even after he said he'd help you."

"He's already been through enough, Jack," Tasuku protested on instinct. "I don't want him to have to deal with this, not after we managed to return peace to the city."

"Some things never change," sighed Jack. "Though that's all the more reason for me to make sure you don't do anything reckless."

Tasuku laughed at the light jab. "There's no need to worry, I have no intention of shouldering this by myself. We'll do this together, and stop whatever plot is brewing."

"Spoken like a true Buddycop," said Jack proudly. "Alright, we'll go. It'll be a good time to test our new deck, too."

"You think it's ready for a field test?" asked Tasuku. "That power's still new to you."

"There's no better time," reassured Jack. "I know you're ready for it, and practice matches against Takihara will only get you so far."

"You're right," Tasuku nodded. "We'll use our new power to combat whatever faces us!"

"That's the spirit!" encouraged Jack, as he started flying to their section of the city. "Now let's get moving, before Gao and Drum cover this side of the city, too."

"Right!" Tasuku kicked off towards the next area, his Buddyskill trailing behind his feet as he took off flying alongside his Buddy.

Though Jack didn't have Drum's Hero World enhancements, the Star Dragon World modifications helped boost his senses even in his mini form. Much like Drum, Jack ended up 'following his nose' through most of the city, having caught a scent that, in his own words, smelled "distinctly of Legend World". It wasn't the strongest lead, but it was a start, and so the pair headed down a less trodden path.

The bustling crowds that littered the city streets slowly dwindled, replaced by large yellow warning signs signaling the condition of the area. Though recovery efforts had been swift, there were still some areas of the city that needed more thorough repairs after Yamigedo's assault. This also led to a fair amount of buildings not in use, but still in stable enough condition to be a suitable hiding spot.

After several minutes slowly flying in-between dilapidated buildings, the pair found themselves on the roof of what used to be a shopping mall. The structure was hit a little harder than its neighbors, with a large chunk of the side missing - most likely due to a stray energy blast. Still, it was relatively intact, and out of the way enough to discourage the average pursuer - something that Tasuku was looking for.

Tasuku saw a service entrance, the door old and cracked, but still in good enough condition that he didn't need to apply extra force when he pulled it open.

 _That opened too smoothly_ , he thought to himself, sharing a knowing look with his Buddy. _Someone's been here_

No words were exchanged as the two traveled down the flight of stairs, both recognizing the need for silence. Tasuku thanked whatever force there was that the stairs were stone and not wood. The element of surprise was still on their side, yet despite that, Tasuku found himself more off guard when he reached the bottom, the passage opening up into a larger, sparsely furnished room. At first glance, he wouldn't have thought it the place for a hideout, until he saw a woman sitting on a lone crate box.

From the descriptions he'd been given, Tasuku could see that Morganna had seen better days. Her dress had several tears on the bottom, and the armor protecting her torso had more than a few dents in it. What was once meticulously groomed hair had become frazzled, its luster lost from the pursuit.

"Morganna?" Tasuku asked carefully.

The woman's had snapped up, her eyes wide with fear until they focused on the boy. "Who are… wait, I know you. You're Tasuku Ryuenji, aren't you?"

Tasuku nodded. "We heard your distress call back at HQ. We figured you could use a little backup," he explained.

"That's…wonderful," she said carefully. "Forgive me, I'm still a little shaken. I was expecting…someone else."

"Gao and Drum right?" asked Tasuku. "They got the message too, but we thought it best to split up and cover more ground. Now that we've found you, we'll meet up with them at HQ."

Moganna relaxed considerably, and Tasuku couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the behavior.

"Then we'd better not waste any time, I know for a fact that I was followed," said the sorceress. "If you found me this easy, it won't be long until my pursuer locates us."

Tasuku nodded and took out his radio, "We'll just have to make it quick. I'll make the call and we'll-"

"Tasuku!" Jack yelled and grabbed onto his Buddy's collar, saving him from a swiping hand. It didn't save his radio, and the outstretched hand grabbed it from the Buddycop, crushing it effortlessly. His instincts kicking in, Tasuku back stepped quickly, gaining some distance between him and his assailant.

Getting a better look, Tasuku was almost surprised to see a girl standing in front of him. Two bangs of amber hair framed her face, as well as the small scowl that she wore. Her skin was slightly darker than normal, an oddity in Japan with its more temperate zones. It was easy to see why too; she wore a sleeveless, black shirt and a pair of shorts that seemed more for mobility than comfort. Even at a glance, Tasuku could see the runner's build she carried, legs tense and ready to charge in for another strike. Her fists tightened, fingerless gloves creaking just loud enough to be heard.

"I'm guessing this is whose been after you?" Tasuku asked, keeping his eyes trained on the newcomer.

"Yes, for days now," Morganna answered. "She calls herself Muichi, and she's absolutely ruthless. You must not let her succeed!"

"Don't worry. We'll be sure to keep you safe," Tasuku reassured her before training his eyes on the rogue fighter. "You have a lot to answer for, Muichi. In the name of the Buddypolice, we've come to bring you to justice!"

The girl stopped short, and stared intensely at Tasuku. "You…" she rasped. "You're with the police…?"

"That's right," the boy confirmed. "I am Tasuku Ryuenji, leader of the Buddypolice youth division!"

The air stilled, and Tasuku could feel a tension thicken around them. The girl seemed to be in shock, having frozen stock still after his declaration.

 _Right in front of the door,_ he groused to himself. Jack had crouched, ready to lend his aid in anyway he could, while Morganna stood a few paces back, seemingly less scared than one would be in a hostage situation.

But all that was pushed to the wayside when a massive rush of energy billowed out from the girl, her eyes wide with fury as she glared at him.

* * *

On the other side of town, Gao and Drum were still busy trying to find Morganna. Despite Drum's Decker Nose working overtime, they were unable to catch even a whiff of the sorceress. It didn't help that there was a large fair happening, and Drum kept getting distracted by the various foods stands around every corner. By the time the sun started to sink in the sky, the poor armordragon was practically drooling from hunger.

"Where in the world _is_ that lady!?" Drum wailed. "She could've left us a note in the video, save us the trouble! It's like she doesn't even wanna be found!"

Gao knew his Buddy was at his limit, and held up a small plate of takoyaki he'd snagged from one of the vendors. "We shouldn't think about what we can't change, only what we can." The treat was snagged from him the moment he finished his sentence, Drum hungrily gobbling up the snack. "You've earned a break, but we need to keep searching as much as possible."

"Alright, but if I can't find her in the next hour, I'm-" Drum stopped, and sniffed the air deeply. He shuddered as he took in a surprisingly strong scent, dropping the empty plate with a clatter.

"What's wrong, Drum?" asked Gao, taking immediate note of his Buddy's stiffened posture. Anything that could shock Drum out of his food-induced euphoria had to be big.

"I think I smell whoever's chasing her…"

"Wait, really!?" Gao exclaimed, though any excitement he had died when he saw how jittery Drum was. "What do they smell like?"

Drum shivered again as he took another breath, and looked at Gao, a haunted look in his eyes. "Hate."

* * *

It was supposed to be simple.

With the Buddypolice distracted, Gao and Drum would be sent out to find Morganna. With the knights guarding the area from above, she would corner the child and his Buddy, then retrieve all three of them and return to the lair.

Muichi still held a contempt for the word, but she had no better one to use. Still, as she descended the staircase, quiet as a church mouse, she couldn't help but think something was off. According to her master, Gao was a loud child, one who would be found by sound alone. So it was odd that it took the motion spells cast around the perimeter tripping before she heard anything from the building. The downside of having the knights mask the building's presence was that it stopped her from using the viewing orb to scope the area. She bit her lip as she reached the bottom, a bright blue the first thing she saw.

Something was wrong, this wasn't the target. Still, she had a duty to prevent Morganna from being moved, or capture any intruder of interest. Her entire body tensed when she saw two figures - a boy and a small dragon - in front of Morganna, and she darted forward just as the boy took out a radio, arm outstretched to snag the device.

A cry rang out and the boy sidestepped enough to avoid her hand, but let the radio fall in the process. Muichi snatched it and crushed the black box in her hand, her gloves stopping any of the device cut her skin. She faced him, eyes steeled with determination, and waited for him to finish talking with Morganna. All the while, warning bells rang in her head.

 _This is the wrong boy…_ she thought. _This isn't Gao Mikado. This is…_

"Tasuku…?" Muichi's eyes widened, comprehension dawning. She was well aware of that name, and the way he introduced himself dredged up an old memory. "Tasuku Ryuenji…" she mumbled again, her posture becoming stiff.

She hadn't let herself remember times before she joined her new group, but sometimes her head ached with a memory just out of reach. This time, it was strong - too strong - and she couldn't stop her subconscious from somehow connecting unseen dots.

Images passed by in her mind, memories she'd thought forgotten, but still rang clear as day…

* * *

It had been another arduous day at Sengoku. Their training regimen to nurture the best Buddyfighters had Muichi wiped, and the girl slumped to the floor once she reached her dorm room. It was an odd sort of exhaustion, on that left her grinning, even as she felt her legs buckle under her from standing so long. The days at the school were long, and alway a fight for dominance, but she had found herself enjoying the daily grind of fighting her way to the top. She may not have always won, but it gave her something to strive for, and she relished the challenge of overcoming those obstacles.

A loud sigh disrupted her musings, and she turned to find her friend, Makoto, crawling in from her window. An action that would be curious by normal means, but was mostly notable since Muichi's room was on the second story. Nevertheless, Muichi was content to watch her friend slump over the window frame.

"What? Not gonna help me up?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

"Well, you got up there just fine," she retorted with a smirk.

The boy rolled his eyes and pushed himself the rest of the way in, tucking his head in and doing a forward roll onto the floor. He came to an ungraceful halt up against the lone table in the room, splayed on his back with his legs in the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen, one of the top students in Sengoku's starting division," Muichi quipped, too tired to do more than grin at the boy's expense.

"Oh, hah hah. And look at the 'fearsome' Infernal Hell Fighter," Makoto snarked back, still laying on the floor. "Can't even stand up after a measly 6 hours of Buddyfighting!"

"Six and a half!" Muichi corrected. "Not my fault I played against a freaking stall deck before lunch. Couldn't even enjoy my food, I was so pissed off."

"Yeah, blame the other fighter for you having a one trick fighting style," Makoto drawled. "Seriously, you have all the subtlety of a charging rhino."

"Oh, shut up," Muichi huffed. "Why'd you even come here anyway? There's gotta be some tree you haven't attempted to turn into kendo practice yet."

"I'm here to help you," he said, letting his legs fall to the floor with a thump. "Your fighting style's getting too predictable. It's the main reason why that girl chose a stall deck against you." He grunted as he sat himself up, picking himself up off the floor. "You're gonna need to adjust to a slightly different strategy."

"Since when did you become an analyst?"

"Since I started taking extra lessons this year," he replied. "Dad was harping on me to take an extracurricular, so I thought it'd be the most useful."

"That explains why you wanted to reschedule our weekly sparring sessions," noted Muichi. "So are you any good at it, or did you just wanna read old fight records?"

"It's been worth it, trust me. Fight me and I'll show you!" He grinned and brought out his deck, already setting up the game mat. "I wanna see you go all out, maybe even give you some pointers."

"Oh, great, more Buddyfighting," she bemoaned, but wore a smirk all the same as she looked down at the boy's field. The paper mat was a weathered one, showing its use from how often it had been folded and refolded, but it served its purpose just fine.

Muichi smirked and brought out her own, but stopped when she noticed her tv was still on. A scene from a Buddyfight was replaying on the small screen, and the girl snorted when she recognized what was being broadcast.

"Hey, get a load of this," she gestured to her friend, smirking patronizingly. "Ol' Boy Wonder's done it again."

The broadcast showed Tasuku Ryuenji apprehension of another criminal Buddyfighter, smiling for the aerial camera while a replay of the match was shown on a smaller screen. Muichi groaned as she watched the boy answer more questions, each one with a more corny response than the last.

"Never did get why so many people like him," Makoto said as he watched Tasuku bring his signature _Gargantua Punisher_ card down on the criminal, ending the match. "I could handle that sword just as well as he can."

"I'm sure," Muichi snorted. "You know that's not even an item, right? It's just a huge impact. And a cheap one, if you ask me," she huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"You need to learn to appreciate strategy," the boy replied. "It may be cheap, but it gets the job done."

"Only you would manage to defend a sword, Ken," she teased, using his nickname. The boy had an affinity for swords, so it only seemed fit to make his nickname a pun. "You could be steaming mad at your old man, but if he gave you an actual sword to play with, you'd turn to putty."

"First of all, that's happened before, and I did not cave," Makoto said with all the dignity he could muster. Muichi grinned and raised an eyebrow. Makoto faltered. "Okay, fine, I caved a little," he amended, "but you would too if you got to practice with an actual blade!"

"Yeah, and he only had to bribe you with it so you'd do your chores."

"Hey, if that's all it takes for some blade practice, I'll live with being a grease monkey for a weekend or two!"

The two shared a quick laugh before setting up their game, the televised fight filling the air.

Makoto was about to call "Raise the Flag!" but Muichi's distracted look stopped him short. "Muichi?" he asked. "Something wrong?"

Muichi shook her head, running her hand through her hair. "It's nothing. I just…had a thought."

"Well, out with it then," he urged. "I don't wanna fight you with your head in the clouds. You'd just get all ticked off when I end up winning."

Muichi huffed indigently, but relented. "Alright, fine. I was wondering what it'd be like going up against him." She gestured to the tv, where Tasuku was smiling after giving an interview.

"Go against Tasuku?" Makoto clarified. "Well, it'd be short. He'd wipe the floor with you in a minute."

"I meant what it'd be like going up against the police," she asserted crossly, though the fire behind her left as she continued. "If you managed to beat him…would you go free? Would the Buddypolice Barrier…"

"Damn, that's still such a mouthful," Makoto interrupted, and Muichi couldn't help but smile.

"Would it just disappear and let you walk off scott free?" she finished, her grin disappearing.

"Doubt it," Makoto replied. "Those righteous cops are too persistent to let a criminal out of their sights. Probably just send another squad out."

"Makes 'em sound more like hunters than cops," Muichi muttered, her fist slowly clenching.

"Sometimes they gotta act like it, depends on the criminal," Makoto remarked. "Where'd this all come from anyway?"

Muichi flinched and released her fist, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "It's…personal. My home is a little too strict, and I guess this just reminded me is all." She sighed, and set her cards down.

"Must be strict if you're complaining about it while you're in the toughest Buddyfight school in the country," Makoto laughed, trying to diffuse the tension that surrounded his friend.

Muichi shook her head. "It's different. Here, you can Buddyfight your way out of a problem, or to settle an argument. That…" she turned to the tv again, though now the picture of a news anchor dominated the screen. "Feels more like a circus show. Like they're just playing with him, giving him the idea that there's something he can do about his fate…" She trailed off, trembling slightly, leaving the sound of the tv to fill the room.

"Something tells me you're not talking about the police," Makoto said, breaking the semi-silence.

"I'd really rather not talk about it," Muichi said, exhaustion in her voice now. "It's just… sometimes I wonder if there's a point to even trying at all."

"Hey," Makoto said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about those things right now. It's not like you're _planning_ to become a criminal, right? Besides, as long as we're a team, nothing can beat us. We just gotta stick together, help each other out and all that."

Muichi managed a smile. It was hard not to with how much hope the boy had in his voice. It was almost infectious. "Yeah, together… just like we've been doing. Together, we're invincible."

She turned back to watch the tv, mentally preparing herself for the Buddycop's speech about lawfulness and the like… but the scenery had changed…

A darkened alley came into focus, the sky dreary and overcast. Muichi shivered and hugged herself, now acutely aware that her attire was different. It was something for summer, not designed to keep away the frigid chill that now surrounded her. But the real reason she was shivering wasn't the cold.

A horde of officers surrounded her, faces indistinguishable from each other, all slowly advancing on her.

She was 16 years old, lost and alone, with nothing to look forward to but a cold prison cell. She felt her body tremble, any and all fire in her from her time as the Infernal Hell FIghter now lost in the face of cold reality.

She would end up just like the criminals she saw on tv, gone from the public eye forever once she passed those doors and forgotten to time. Her body tingled as a bizarre warmth ran through her veins. Her eyes narrowed and she felt herself move, her mind was focused on one objective now…

Survive.

* * *

A shockwave blew through the room, a torrent of foul, red energy emanating from the girl. Both Tasuku and Jack braced themselves against the sudden gale, watching on in awe at the power the girl possessed.

"What is she doing?!" asked Tasuku. "It almost feels like Disaster Force, but that can't be possible! She doesn't have a Dark Core!"

"Disaster energy or not, she's gathering a lot of it," yelled Jack. "We might've been wrong about Kyoya being involved. Be on your guard!"

Tasuku nodded, planting himself firmly between the girl and Morganna, the sorceress having taken cover behind a large crate. It was a miracle that the unstable building didn't collapse under the energy whipping inside. Eventually, the small storm calmed, leaving the girl standing with raw, red energy surrounding her like an aura.

"You cops are always hunting us, always chasing us down…parading your victories on television for your amusement…" she growled, her eyes alight with fury, and her hands clenched in rage. Her irises were now a sickly yellow and her pupils slitted like a cat's. "This time, it's my turn… I'll hunt you down, and everyone like you!"


	2. Enter Muichi

_Buddyskill On!_

A loud explosion rang out across the city, with a large burst of flame following, rising out of the devastated upper section of the building. Plumes of smoke rose from within it's the destroyed walls, barely concealing the two fighters emerging from it. An observer would note that one seemed to be flying, green sparks trailing behind them, while the other leapt from the building, speeding through the air like a shark through water.

"No Buddy Police Barrier to save you now, Buddy Cop!" the leaping assailant, Muichi, called as she propelled herself towards Tasuku, twisting herself midair and throwing a hard left hook at the boy.

Tasuku barely managed to avoid breaking his jaw, and retaliated in kind by kicking the other fighter back. The blow landed, but it barely seemed to phase the girl, who used its momentum to brace herself against the building. Then, just as she was about to fall, she kicked off of the wall once again, throwing herself through an open window to gain ground, while moving her hand through the air in a way Tasuku registered a second before it happened.

"Cast! Dragonic Shoot!"

The call shocked Tasuku, and it was through sheer luck that he managed to dodge the fireball headed straight towards him, spinning so that it slid by him and collided with the building behind him, confirming his worst fears.

"She can make the power of the cards real…" he muttered. "Whatever that is, Disaster or not, it's dangerous. So I'll to fight fire with fire. Time to unleash the Future Force!"

The familiar power coursed through the boy, his body and Core Gadget shining with an iridescent, blue glow as the energy caused his hair to lengthen below his waist. Even as he was transforming, though, he had to dodge another Dragonic Shoot from Muichi, the girl firing them indiscriminately at him.

"Tasuku!" yelled Jack, watching as his Buddy barely dodged the unceasing assault. He turned to Morganna, who had barely managed to brace herself against a large crate, preventing the blast from reaching her. "Run for now. We'll hold her off."

"I'm afraid I'm too weak to move," Morganna replied sullenly. "And if you can't stop her here, then she'll never stop. Go help your Buddy. I'll wait here."

Jack looked conflicted, but his loyalty to his Buddy won out and he flew out of the building, transforming into his full form once outside. Morganna had expected the golden form of Jackknife Aster, but the green dragon had opted for a different variant. Jack now wore deep blue armor around his torso and wings, his entire body looking much sleeker than before.

 _He's managed to evolve again, further than even I had predicted,_ thought Morganna, a smug grin tugging on her face. _It's no wonder Sofia lost. I was right to only look ahead so far before._

"Keep out of sight and stay safe," ordered Jack, turning his sights to the battlefield. "We'll be back as soon as we can." He didn't wait for a response, instead swooping down toward his Buddy, his aerodynamic body carrying him through the air like a rocket.

Down below, Tasuku was doing everything he could to avoid the girl's attacks, but he couldn't relax with Muichi blasting fireballs at him. He ducked and weaved through the barrage to close the gap, but just as he managed to get within striking distance, the girl launched herself at him instead. She threw a hard punch, seemingly in an attempt to knock him out in a single blow, but, on instinct, Tasuku equipped Dragobrave and swung the broadsword up to block the girl's fist.

The clang of metal on metal rung out, and Tasuku realized Muichi had equipped an item as well for that strike. He caught a glimpse of the gauntlet, but she quickly pushed back, landing on the roof of one of the shorter nearby buildings.

Before she could begin casting her fireballs again, Jack emerged from the sky and charged her. The girl nimbly sprung back, avoiding Jack's swipe, and backflipped across the roof to gain distance as Jack regrouped with Tasuku, the pair hovering and facing her.

"What's the matter, Buddy Cop?" asked Muichi as she came to a stop. "Afraid to take me on yourself? Don't you have those barriers to keep me from abusing my power?" She smirked as she made her deduction. "Don't tell me the satellites are still scrapped from Yamigedo's rampage?"

Tasuku's wince was faint, annoyed that she was right. _How does she know that?_

"I thought you wanted to _catch_ me! That's your whole schtick, isn't it?" taunted Muichi. "The Buddy Police Boy Wonder! Crushing his opponents with his special Impact card and 'mysterious power'. You already have that Future Force on, so bring out your Impact, and let's make this city our battleground!"

"I won't stoop to your level!" yelled Tasuku. "I have my Buddy with me, and together we'll bring you to justice!"

"Ohh, all high-and-mighty to the last," scoffed Muichi. "But, if that's the way you wanna play…" She lifted up a deck case, with a familiar looking gem embedded in it. "Then I challenge you to a Buddyfight."

Tasuku nearly lost his grasp on his weapon as he stared at the red gem. Muichi was too far away for him to tell, but it bore a shocking resemblance to one of Kyoya's Dark Cores. "Is that…?"

"You'll just have to fight me and find out, now, won't you?" Muichi said, pocketing her deck case and turning her back to him. "Follow me, Buddy Cop. If you're not too scared, that is!"

She let out a laugh and jumped off the side of the building. For a moment, Tasuku feared the worst, but the girl timed her jump just right and grabbed onto a horizontal traffic light, performing a quick summersault before letting go. She soared through the air and landed hard on the ground; then, despite hitting the pavement with enough force to crack it, the girl merely turned back to face him.

"This girl is unreal," murmured Tasuku. "How is she managing those leaps?"

"That Core must be giving her some sort of power," Jack surmised. "Disaster or not, she's far too dangerous to be taken lightly. Keep your Future Force active so you can withstand her hits. And, if worst comes to worst… we might need to call in Gao."

Tasuku frowned, worrying what Gao would do once he arrived. "Knowing him, he'd try and take her challenge, regardless of the risk. But maybe…"His eyes drifted back to the building Morganna was in, and he dropped his voice to a whisper, relying on his Buddy's enhanced hearing to hear him. "If I can get him to move Morganna away, we can still come out of this with a victory."

"Thinking of calling for help?" interrupted Muichi, breaking the two from their discussion. "I thought I challenged you to a fight, Buddy Cop! Or are you gonna reject my challenge? Because I'd love to keep having fun." She opened up her right palm, and a small fireball formed in it.

"No," Tasuku replied reluctantly, arms at his side as he floated down. "I still plan on accepting your challenge. I'll make sure you answer for the terrible things you've done."

"That confident, huh?" Muichi chuckled, dispersing her flame. "That's good! It wouldn't be fun without some incentive."

She led him past the crumbling buildings to a small intersection that was mostly free of debris. She jumped to the other side of the street and raised her Core Deck Case, a silent taunt and call for him to Luminize.

"Barrier or not, it is my duty as part of the Buddy Police to bring you to justice!" declared Tasuku, bringing up his Star Pulsar. "Shine Forth! Future dragons clad in stars! Luminize, Cross Dragoner!"

"Blazing like an inferno, erasing everything in its path!" A gauntlet formed on Muichi's left arm, attaching onto her fingerless glove, with her diamond shaped core stuck on the back of her hand. "Dark Luminize! Crimson Demon FIst!"

 _Dark Luminize,_ thought Tasuku, uneasy. _It might not be exactly the same as a Dark Core, but it definitely acts the same. And if Kyoya has a hand in this…_

"I'll take the first move," declared Muichi. "Charge and draw. I call Crimson Battler Grand Kick Dragon to the center."

 _Crimson Battler?_ Tasuku's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Muichi throw her card out to the field. A tall, muscular dragon materialized from it, bearing the blue armor he'd grown familiar with from his and Gao's bouts back in Dragon World. It gave him some comfort to be familiar with the deck, his mind going over the countermeasures he'd prepared for Gao, though the fact that the girl started out with a monster Gao didn't use kept him on edge. She was more than another copycat, like so many well meaning fans.

"Allow me to demonstrate my proficiency!" Grand Kick growled, stomping the ground in anticipation.

"Don't let me stop you. Attack!" Muichi replied, spurring her monster into action.

"For the glory of the Crimson Battlers!" The red dragon's leg tensed up before throwing him into a sprint, crossing the gap between him and Tasuku in an instant.

Tasuku raised his arms up to catch the dragon's hard kick and winced as the attack connected, the recoil pushing him back several feet while his life dropped by 3. _That Impact was real!_ he thought as he straightened himself. _Even if the core is different, the result is the same. But… is this really Disaster…?_

His hand hesitated over the Star Pulsar, his mind coming up with a million different possibilities, before he found his voice. "Muichi! Before I start… tell me. Did you receive that power from Kyoya Gaen?"

"Kyoya?" repeated Muichi in disbelief, before throwing her head back and cackling harshly. She clenched her fist, once again showing off the diamond shaped gem, the surface glimmering under what sunlight shone through the dissipating smoke. "That rich boy couldn't hope to handle this power. He couldn't even handle Yamigedo's power!"

"How do you know about that incident!?" yelled Tasuku. "Why didn't you tell anyone!?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," taunted Muichi. "You'll just have to defeat me so I sing like a canary for you, Buddy Cop."

"I was planning to do that anyway, criminal! I'll bring you in to answer for everything that you've done! Draw! Charge and draw!" His motions where harsh, driven by the twisted emotions that were churning his stomach, but hours of practice left his next move committed to memory. "I Buddy Call Star Dragoner, Jackknife!" Tasuku's Buddy roared onto the battle field, his body glowing in the light. "Jackknife's skill reveals the top 3 cards of my deck, and Crossnizes with Jackarms, J Ignighter!"

Several silver armaments materialized around Jack, attaching to his arms as large blades to match his signature jackknife. "Now my Critical becomes 4!" the dragon declared.

"Next I Call Star Dragoner, Blazer to the left." A sleek, silver dragon materialized on the battlefield, briefly growling as its battle call. "Then I pay 1 gauge and life to equip Twin Star, Jack and Fang!" He held out his hands as the card materialized into a pair of guns.

"New dragons _and_ a new toy?" taunted Muichi once more. "Guess they really _can_ teach old dogs new tricks."

"I attack Grand Kick with Jack and Fang!" Tasuku yelled, firing a shot through the dragon's chest and blasting it away. "And now, Double Attack!" His second shot came just as Grand Kick's form disintegrated, striking Muichi in the same spot, the recoil forcing her back.

"That Future Force packs a kick," conceded Muichi as her life dropped a point.

"Allow me to help you become familiar with it! Blazer attacks!" The lithe dragon followed its master's orders, slashing at the girl and dropping her life by 2. "Now finish it, Jackknife!"

"With pleasure!" Jack growled, his wings carrying him high into the sky before he dive bombed the girl, weapons held out. "Ignite Blade!"

Muichi held up a card, but didn't react further until Jack's knife slashed through her, bringing her life down to 3. "I Cast! Dragonic Endure!" The card lit up and three lights floated up from her gauntlet to her gauge. "I can only use that card when I take damage, so thanks for going all out, Buddy Cop."

 _What I wouldn't give for Radiant Punisher,_ thought Tasuku, eyeing his hand of defensive cards while Muichi began her turn. _But it doesn't matter, I can do this. I just need to hold out for one turn._

"Since you seem to be giving it your all, I better do likewise! I Call two Crimson Battlers, Double Katar Dragon to the right, and Spin Nail to the left!"

Tasuku recognized Spin Nail from Gao's deck, the thin red dragon pointing his namesake claws at him, but he was unfamiliar with the other one; the silver haired dragon brandished two gauntlets, each with a three-pronged blade at the end.

"Now I equip Chieftain Fist, Dragogeneral!" continued Muichi, as the gauntlet she had attacked him with earlier materialized over her right arm. "Dragogeneral gains one critical for each card in the soul, and thanks to its Equip Cost, it already has one! Next, I use its skill! By paying one gauge, I put the top card of my deck into its soul!"

"So it has two critical now, and it'll continue to gain one each turn…" mused Jack. "She's not holding anything back."

"I'll admit, you two are putting up a better fight than I thought," said Muichi, holding up one of her remaining hand cards. "I can't take any chances with this. I cast Dragonic Grimoire!"

Tasuku winced as he watched the spell do its work; a spectral white dragon phasing through the last card in Muichi's hand, before breaking up into three new cards.

"Blazer Moves!" stated Tasuku, the lithe, silver dragon managing to jump into position just as Muichi yelled out her own command.

"Double Katar, attack Blazer!" The dragon leapt up, arms raised and poised to end his target.

"I Cast Barracal Barret, destroying Double Katar!" Tasuku loaded his spell into Jack and Fang, blasting a volley of light directly at Muichi's monster.

"Cast, Dragobond!" called Muichi in response, throwing the shining card toward Katar. "Double Katar's destruction is nullified and my life increases by 2!"

The red dragon slashed through the projectile, then trained his eyes on Blazer once more, bringing his second blade down through the silver dragon in one fluid movement.

"When Double Katar destroys a monster, I can send all the cards in Jackknife's Soul to the Drop Zone!" Blazer roared in pain as he was torn asunder, the ground cracking as Katar's attack continued even with the target destroyed. The weapon pierced the ground, splitting the pavement in a vicious display. Fulfilling his effect, Katar wrenched his weapon out, sending a shockwave at Jack that destroyed the J Igniter on him. A thick spout of water burst from the aftermath, evidence that the last attack hit an active pipeline.

 _She really doesn't care what happens to the fighting area!_ Tasuku thought as he backed away from the small geyser.

"With no Soul to guard it, your Buddy's wide open!" laughed Muichi. "Spin Nail! Eliminate that dragon!"

Her dragon had already started sprinting when she called his name, but Tasuku already had a card ready to counter.

"His empty Soul will be his saving grace! I cast Spectrum Body!" Spin Nail thrust at Jack, but the green dragon had already turned into a ball of light, and floated back to Tasuku's hand. "Jackknife returns to my hand cards and I gain one gauge!"

"You may have saved your Buddy, but you've left yourself wide open," she grinned fiercely, cracking her knuckles as she tensed her legs. "I'm gonna enjoy this!"

She had barely begun to sprint before Tasuku threw his next spell out. "Proto Barrier!"

Muichi scowled and leapt back from the large shield. "I'm really getting sick of that. My turn is over."

Tasuku panted, adrenaline coursing through him and keeping him on edge. _This girl is relentless_ , he thought frustratedly. _It took everything I had to match her attacks. I won't last another round like that, I need to end it this turn!_

"Draw! Charge and Draw! I Call Jackknife to the right!" His Buddy once again roared onto the scene, and Tasuku once again checked the top three cards of his deck. "His skill will put Dragonarms, Logisticker into the soul! Then I call Star Dragoner, Luminious Blue!"

"Surpassing the stars!" exclaimed the jagged Neodragon, striking a pose as he entered the field. "The brilliant fighter, Luminous Blue, appears on the scene!"

"Blue's power and defense increase by 1000 for every soul card on my field," explained Tasuku while Jack equipped himself with his new weapon.

"Right now, Jackknife is the only card with soul," Muichi muttered, "and it's only got one, at that. 1000 power is not much to sneeze at."

"We'll see how long you think that," Tasuku replied. "I attack with Blue!"

"You'll regret underestimating me!" cried the Neodragon, brandishing his sword. "I offer my comrades power! That power shall become mine as well! My skill activates, Luminous Charge!"

J Igniter appeared above Jackknife, once more docking with his arm, providing a new weapon.

"Blue lets Jack crossnize with a card in the drop zone," explained Tasuku. "And with the extra soul, Blue becomes stronger!"

"Always an answer to everything," scoffed Muichi, already holding up one of her cards, "but two can play at that game! Cast! Dragonic Formation! Double Katar moves to the center!"

Katar teleported to the center, baring his blades at his enemies. "You'll have to get through me first!"

"That's just what I was hoping for!" Blue roared as he charged his foe, his large sword poised to attack. Katar managed to parry the first slash with his own weapon, but was forced to stumble when Blue pulled back sharply. Seeing the opening, Blue threw a hard punch against the other's snout, stunning the red dragon. Another quick stab, and Double Katar was reduced to pixels.

"Jackknife, attack the fighter!" Muichi flinched as Jackknife's blow struck her, her life meter falling harshly down to 1 point. Tasuku raised his weapon, taking aim after his Buddy returned to his side. "Now I attack with Jack and Fang! Prepare to face justice!"

Muichi smirked back at him, throwing her last card out and creating a large, golden shield that stopped the attack cold. "Cast, Primeval Dragon Shield! The attack is negated, and I draw one card!"

"You're only prolonging the inevitable!" said Tasuku, taking aim once more. "The second attack!"

"Blue Dragon Shield!" she yelled, much to Tasuku's shock. Once again, the lance of energy was stopped; this time, by a more familiar shield. "The attack is negated, and I gain one gauge!"

 _Drawing two shield cards like that is incredibly lucky…_ Tasuku thought to himself. _Gao's the only fighter I know with that sort of luck, but she couldn't be more different…_

"What's the matter, Buddy Cop? Running out of gas?" Muichi mocked. "Don't tell me that was your best shot! I expected far more from the Buddypolice Boy Wonder!"

"You talk a big game, but it's only a matter of time before I put you behind bars!" Despite his exhaustion, Tasuku kept his voice firm.

"Self-righteous as always," she huffed. "Don't you ever get tired of spouting that tired rhetoric?"

"What do you mean? I only say what I believe in."

"Then you believe in trash," Muichi retorted. "You Buddycops think you're so smart, using those barriers to keep criminals locked in place while you toy with them."

"Toy with them?" Tasuku parroted, bewildered. "We do it to apprehend violent criminals so that they don't use their monsters to cause collateral damage!" He looked pointedly at the torn up street, marred from her monsters' ferocious attacks.

"Don't give me that!" Muichi growled. "You know full well you could use your Buddies to help take down any criminal that put up a fight. Instead, you force them into a fight that's televised for the general public!"

"That's not my fault!" Tasuku shouted. "Or the Buddypolice's. I know it has its share of problems, but the media was always something that I knew couldn't be controlled. It wants to paint us in a favorable light to the citizens!"

"And you think showing that you could destroy a fighter's deck case if they lose would give them security?" Muichi shot back. "Tell me, oh vaunted Buddy Cop Boy Wonder, what would happen if a criminal were to win one of your fights?"

"The Buddypolice Barrier-" Muichi interrupted with a loud snort, but made no comment. "-would dissipate, and we'd send another officer to apprehend the culprit."

"As I thought," she said coldly. "Then it just becomes a war of attrition."

"Don't pretend that you're in the right!" shouted Tasuku. "If we're fighting to capture the criminal, they pose a great enough risk to warrant it. And you've done yourself no favors in dissuading my judgement on you."

"I don't know why you're so rattled about me. If anything, I'm doing you a favor," gloated Muichi. "I'm here to capture the rogue monster Morganna whose terrorized Legend World for more than a few years, and has even harassed one of your friends."

The statement made Tasuku pause for a moment. Drum had told them about his encounter with the sorceress before - though only an abridged version, after Gao had pestered him about it - but he'd promised not to discuss it with anyone else. "How do you know so much about Morganna?"

"As I said before, you'll have to beat me to find out," Muichi said proudly. "But with the way things are looking, that truth may be forever lost to you."

"I wouldn't be so flippant with me," Tasuku said sternly, his frustration getting the better of him. "If you haven't noticed, I all but literally have your back against the wall. Your life is at one, and you have no hand cards! This fight will end on my next turn! Just you wait!"

"We will see. Draw, Charge and Draw." She smirked as she revealed her card. "Lucky me! Another Dragonic Grimoire." Once again, the spectral dragon emerged from the card, immediately breaking into 3 new ones. As she looked at her new hand, her eyes widened, and her smirk widened to a near manic smile. She glared with a frightful intensity, holding one card up high. "Finally! I Buddycall!"

She threw her card to the side, a massive burst of purple energy swirling from the spot. It hissed against the water when it made contact, steam billowing from the wall of fire that surrounded Muichi's call. It obscured the monster's appearance, but from the large silhouette it cast, they knew she had called out a large dragon.

"I'll pay a gauge to give Dragogeneral another soul card, bringing its critical to 3!" she continued and lifted her arm up, letting one of her gauge float into the palm of her hand before she thrust it at Tasuku. "Now, my Buddy! Attack!"

The large dragon, still obscured by mist, strode up to the officer. It hefted a large weapon at its side, bracing its feet for what seemed to be a large recoil. Dark red eyes filled with malice and hate glared at Tasuku, intent on hitting him with the full brunt of its weapon. And yet despite all of that, he couldn't help but wonder why they seemed somewhat familiar.

 _Those eyes… I know I've been stared down by them before…_ He stared back at the monster, his mind racing to put a name to that face. Then, as if representing his own revelation, the mist around the monster's face cleared just enough. _Wait…_

"You're…" he weakly called out, but was unable to finish his thought. A large beam of energy lanced out at him and consumed him in blackened light, throwing him back several meters. He had just barely managed to catch himself before he heard Muichi's voice yell out.

"Spin Nail!" His eyes shot open, and he barely managed to dodge the red dragon's signature weapon, only to be backhanded when Spin Nail lashed his tail out. The boy's cheek stung from the fierce strike, but he forced himself to ignore it to pay attention to the fight.

"This will end it!" Tasuku was still shaking from the force of the last attack, but managed to open his eyes the moment Muichi yelled, "I attack you with the Chieftan's Fist!"

Muichi charged forward, appearing in front of Tasuku in the blink of an eye. Before he could react, the girl shot her fist out, slamming it hard into Tasuku's abdomen. The boy gagged and stumbled back, but was quickly caught by an uppercut Muichi delivered shortly after. Muichi whipped her fist back, turned on her heel and slammed it once again into the poor boy's stomach, sending him through the building behind them.

The punch to the stomach hurt more than it should, and in the span of a second, Tasuku found himself hurtling through the air. Gravity became a foreign concept for a brief moment before it was reintroduced painfully as his back connected with the building, along with a crack of what he dearly hoped was concrete.

He had no time to process his crash course in physics though, for he was introduced to a new friend: momentum. The building's walls were brittle from Yamigedo's assault, buckling and breaking every time he hit another wall, doing little to slow his trajectory. Tasuku's world became a series of painful, staccato bursts as he was propelled through various walls and utilities.

Time quickly lost meaning, the pain in his stomach, coupled with the relentless crashes he'd been forced to endure, prevented him from thinking much of anything. Still, after much too long a time for him, Tasuku found himself out of obstacles, and mercifully slammed to the ground.

It was a short lived mercy as, seconds later, a gauntlet covered hand clasped onto his collar and he soon found himself being pulled upwards. Tasuku's mind was in a panic; despite her lithe build, she was somehow able to hold him up one-handed, and even cross the gap between where they started and the building as fast as he'd been launched.

"Who… are you?" he rasped out grasping weakly at the girl's arm. "Why are you doing this?"

The girl was silent for a long moment, and when she spoke, it was in a low tone, a far departure from the growl she had used earlier. "I have come for the sorceress, Morganna. I was expecting Mikado, so you," she turned hard on her heel and hurtled the boy back across the field. "Are in my way!"

As he hurtled through the air, once again at gravity's whims, Tasuku couldn't help but wonder. _Gao… what does the universe have against you? And after you finally defeated Yamigedo…_ He tried desperately to straighten himself out so the impact wouldn't hurt, but his limbs refused to listen. _If I can just make it through this…_

"Tasuku!" Jack's voice rang loud and clear, the green dragon swooping in from above and catching his Buddy before he could hit the ground. Luminous Blue joined soon after, putting himself between Muichi and the two Buddies. "Speak to me, please!" Jack's voice was choked, and Tasuku couldn't help but smile at the care given.

"I'm…fine…Jack…" he said between pants, leaning on the bigger dragon to stay stable. "Just…a little dizzy."

"We have to call in backup, wait for Gao to-"

"No!" Tasuku cried. "I won't subject him to this kind of punishment!" He managed to steady himself after several deep breaths, and took his place across from Muichi. "I can still handle this. I Cast!" he winced as pain shot through his arm, but grit his teeth through it, holding his card as high as he could. "Jackknife Linker! My Life becomes 1, and, for this attack phase, my Life cannot be reduced."

"It can't-" Muichi growled in annoyance, glaring daggers at the boy, before a look of realization hit her, and her frown turned into a smile. "Just for the Attack Phase, then?" She chuckled at Tasuku's dumbfounded, looking as if she would lunge at him again.

 _She's plotting her next move, but it's fine_ , Tasuku thought. _Even after the Buddycall, she only has 2 Life left. Once she ends her turn, any attack can win this._ Pain shot through his side as he attempted to straighten himself. _If my body can hold out until then, I can…_

Then she spoke two words. Words that had usually meant victory for him, but now meant only despair.

"Final Phase."

* * *

The quiet ambiance of the city was hushed, the fair all but forgotten as a large crowd of people looked at the smoke coming from the construction area. Gao and Drum where among the front onlookers, nearly stunned speechless at the massive explosion that occurred moments prior.

"This is crazy," said Drum. "What could've struck the building that hard?"

Gao's teeth were gritted in a mix of anxiety and fear. "That's where Tasuku was headed…"

"Doesn't take any of my secrets to know where they're battling," Drum muttered. "But from the sound of it, they're on the move. Even with my scope, it'll take a while to find them…"

Gao looked on anxiously as his Buddy scouted the area, but both stopped when a frightened voice shouted. "It's got Tasuku!"

The duo turned to see a small group of kids crowding around a child holding a pair of binoculars. The boy was stock still with fright, leaving several of the citizens to try and locate the problem. Try as they might, the boy repeated the same action, a hard pointing gesture to an area that had yet to be filled with smoke.

"Drum," he called, but his buddy was one step ahead of him.

"I'll handle this," Drum said, focusing his vision on where the boy pointed. "With one of my Seven Secrets, Super Decker Scope!" A small scope flipped from his visor, the smoke filtering from his vision as it zoomed in. A second later, he gasped as he watched Tasuku get thrown like a rag doll, saved only by Jack's quick maneuvering. "That _is_ Tasuku! And he's being manhandled!"

"C'mon, Drum!" Gao cried, his Buddyskill flaring to life. "We gotta hurry!"

Tasuku's entire body was tense, his ears almost ringing despite how quietly the girl had declared her next move. "Did you say Final Phase!?"

"Inverse Arts, Gokuenabare Uranoudachi!" Swirls of crimson energy spiraled around the girl, and her Buddy's silhouette appeared behind her, blood-red eyes gazed down upon the Buddypolice Cop and his dragon. It enveloped the girl, cloaking her in in a violent vortex of energy.

And though the pair knew it couldn't be so, they found a terrible familiarity with the eyes gazing at them.

"What is that!?" Tasuku yelled.

"This is the power of my Impact, Gokuenabare Uranoudachi. It will hit you for damage equal to the combined Critical of my item and my Buddy!" she replied, grinning wildly. "You said I couldn't damage you during the Attack Phase, well here's my answer to that!" She yelled as she threw out her fist, and a massive lance of energy cascaded from the spiral behind her.

Tasuku looked on in shock as the tidal wave that was the Impact hurtled towards him. He was stock still, uncontrollable fear rooting him to the spot. His Buddy had no such loss, and shouted as he threw himself in front of Tasuku. "Stop! Don't do this, Dr-!"

A massive explosion ragout, engulfing the area in smoke. Many of the remaining buildings collapsed, their already weakened foundations destroyed from the shockwaves of the fight. When the dust settled, Tasuku Ryuenji lay face down, his loyal Buddy, Jackknife Dragon, now back in SD form, lay on top of him in one last desperate act to keep him safe.

"Game Over," the girl declared smugly. "Winner: Muichi Gokuyama"

* * *

"They're over here," Drum shouted, leading Gao between the buildings. He winced the further they flew, covering his sensitive nose from the pungent smell of ash. "Better get out a mask, kid. This smoke is way too thick."

Before Gao could respond, another explosion drew their attention, but neither could do much of anything when the shockwave hit them. The two flew high, doing their best to avoid any fallen debris while they waited out the storm. It took countless minutes, but at last the massive output of energy settled, leaving a large crater where a busy street intersection once was.

And in the middle of it lay a blue haired boy, alongside a small green dragon.

"Tasuku!" Gao yelled, coming down to the fallen Buddy Cop. Tears stung his eyes as he saw how battered his friend had become. "Tasuku, answer me, please!"

The boy winced in his grasp, but his sharp intake of breath brought relief to the young Sun Fighter. "G-Gao…" he said weakly.

"Hang in there, pal," Gao reassured. "Help is on the way. We'll get you back on your feet in no time."

"I wouldn't be so sure," another voice called. Both Gao and Drum watched as a red haired, older girl stepped atop a pile of debris. "I made sure he won't be interfering for while."

"What did you do to him!?" Drum growled lowly as he stood between the humans, glaring harshly at the girl.

"Nothing he didn't have coming. He became an obstacle, and so I removed him." She adjusted her shoulder, and brought Morganna into view. "And to the victor go the spoils."

"Morganna!" Drum shouted. "So you're the one who was chasing after her!"

"I am," she replied easily. "And she gave me quite the case."

"If you had a score to settle with that Morganna, I could understand," Gao's voice trembled with barely restrained fury. "But causing this much destruction…hurting my friends…" his arms shook as he clutched Tasuku tighter, until he finally yelled out. "Why would you do all this!? What are you after!?"

"Oh, I'll be glad to tell you, if you can defeat me," she grinned widely, holding up her deck case. "He was just a warm up, Mikado. _You're_ who I'm really after."

Gao stared her down, already reaching for his own deck case, but loud sirens interrupted their standoff. The girl sneered as nearly 20 cars came flying over the remains of the crumbling city, all headed to their location.

"It's gotten too crowded. We'll meet again, young Sun Fighter," she said hastily. "You won't have anyone to help you then!"

Her eyes flashed briefly, and a miasma seemed to radiate from her. It quickly took shape, a bipedal dragon with red eyes that seemed to stare right through them. She lifted up her arm, and Gao just barely caught a flash of purple on her gauntlet, before she threw a glowing card up. A portal opened, and both she and her dragon vanished inside it, leaving the quartet stunned and a ravaged battle field in her wake.


End file.
